Summary
Traditionally, Soulslikes have stuck to a fairly linear structure when it comes to world and level design. The vastmajority of Soulslikesdrop the player into an enclosed environment and task them with fighting their way down a series of linear arenas, eventually reaching a boss fight, and defeating them to gain access to the next set of linear arenas. Of course, there have been some outliers over the years that have embraced more open-ended areas, andFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnis the latest example.
When booting upFlintlock: The Siege of Dawnfor the first time, players are dropped into a tutorial mission that follows the same linear structure as most Soulslikes. But upon reaching the snowy region of the Three Peaks,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnopens up significantly, allowing players to explore multiple routes that all interweave and loop around one another. ThoughFlintlockdoesn’t have a fully-fledged open-world, its structure is still very open-ended, and that actually offers fans the best of both worlds.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s Semi-Open World Structure Ticks Two Boxes at Once
Flintlock’s Semi-Open World Structure Gives Players Plenty of Side Content
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnhas two major open-world areas, theThree Peaks and Wanderer’s Rest. As mentioned up top, these two areas are densely packed with interweaving pathways, most of which end in a thrilling mini-boss fight, intense combat challenge, powerful loot, or a mixture of all three. Though not all ofFlintlock’s winding optional routes are worth the player’s time, they’re still fun to explore for the most part.
One of the main benefits of having a fully open-world structure is that it usually offers a wealth of side content. Even though its two open-world areas are much smaller than those found in contemporarygames likeFar Cry 6orRed Dead Redemption 2, they’re packed with a surprising number of side quests, most of which can be activated from the Coffee Houses in reclaimed outposts. These side quests range from simple fetch quests to lengthier rescue missions or monster hunts, and while none are on the same level asThe Witcher 3’s finest optional missions, they’re still a fun distraction, and the Reputation players receive from completing them makes it a worthwhile endeavor.
Flintlock’s Semi-Open World Structure Keeps Things Moving
In many open-world games, the player is stuck in one particular biome for the whole game. IntheFar Cryfranchise, for instance, players can explore a vast map, but it’s all been designed to look visually consistent, resulting in the game’s setting occasionally wearing thin after a few hours. Some open-world games circumvent this issue by including multiple distinct biomes in their world, such asElden Ring, though that’s still a bit of a rarity in modern gaming.
With two starkly different open-world areas,Flintlock: The Siege of Dawnmanages to keep players engaged throughout its 10-hour duration. Just as players are getting a little tired of the snowy mountains, rocky caverns, and medieval hamlets of the Three Peaks, they’re treated to a drastically different change of scenery, being presented with the desert andmiddle-eastern-inspired citiesof Wanderer’s Rest. The architecture, lighting, color palette, and even layout of these two areas are very different, givingFlintlock’s world some much-needed variation.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
WHERE TO PLAY
From games studio A44, makers of Ashen, comes an explosive Souls-lite, where Gods and guns collide in a battle for the future of humanity.The Door to the Great Below has been opened unleashing the Gods and their armies of the Dead. The lands of Kian are besieged, the city of Dawn is on the brink of destruction. It’s time for the Coalition army to fight back. Embrace vengeance, gunpowder and magic as you embark on an epic journey to defeat the Gods, close the door and retake the world.Kill all gods.Your battle begins now.
